What is Branding?

For someone new to the world of marketing and advertising understanding industry terms can get very confusing, very quickly. Even for seasoned veterans to the industry, defining certain terms can be very convoluted.

Longitude is leading efforts in order to clear up the confusion and misconceptions. This is an important element to our business and providing value and insight to our clients. Without a clear definition and alignment with everyone involved, it’s very difficult to make strategic and important decisions regarding a business.

One of the most common among these confusion definitions is the question, “what is branding?”

What is Branding?

Branding can be defined simply as “the actions, intentional or unintentional, that contribute to your reputation.”

the actions, intentional or unintentional, that contribute to your reputation.

These actions are literally every way in which you interface with your audience and customers. Understanding that branding is more than just a logo, marketing, or signage is vital because your reputation extends far beyond visuals alone. Your brand (reputation) is affected by every interaction you have with people. We define these interactions as brand touchpoints.

Brand Touchpoints

If we personify a business for a moment, imagine your business as a person you see on the street. There are many things that an individual will do, say, or even how they appear – all contributing to your perception of that person. All of these perceptions are being created in the blink of an eye.

Do they have on designer brand clothing, or dirty boots and a flannel shirt?

Are they driving a brand new sports car or a 20-year-old clunker?

Are they clean cut and well-kept, or wild hair and long beard?

Do they speak quietly and respectfully, or loudly and with irreverence?

Do they have a delightful scent from a perfume, or smell weird and funky?

All of these things contribute to someone’s perception of this fictional individual. We call these “touchpoints.” This is why branding is so important to building a healthy, strong, and profitable brand. Without a strategic brand in place, you will risk sending the wrong messages about who you are and what you represent.

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Do you have a challenge, question, or idea keeping you up at night? We’d love to help.